How to prepare delicious pilaf: 6 main points

Who doesn't love aromatic, tasty, spicy pilaf, which is very easy to prepare and will be a great treat for the whole family. The most important thing is to choose the right products and cook them.

TV presenter Andriy Makarevych shared the main secrets of cooking the perfect pilaf with meat, vegetables, cumin and pomegranate on his YouTube channel.

Top 6 tips:

1. Lamb

For a delicious pilaf, it is best to choose this meat and cut the flesh off the leg.

2. Vegetables

These is a very important ingredient in pilaf, especially carrots. Cut them into medium-sized cubes. Onions and garlic will give the dish a very pleasant flavor. Also, do not forget about tomatoes - choose sweet varieties and cut them into thin slices.

3. Spices

You should not spare them, and it is also advisable to add the most flavorful ones - coriander, cloves, allspice, or thyme. You can even add burberry and pomegranate seeds, but the most important spice in pilaf is cumin.

4. Rice

Since it is the basis of the dish, you need to choose it very carefully. The best varieties will be those that do not turn into porridge when cooked, so buy those that have a low starch content, for example:

• basmati
• indica
• jasmine

5. Utensils

It is best to use a cauldron or a large pot with a thick bottom and a lid, but most importantly, you need to cook at maximum heat, especially when frying meat and vegetables.

6. Oil

You can mix vegetable oil and turkey fat, which will give the pilaf a very pleasant flavor and special tenderness.

Recipe for flavored pilaf

Ingredients:

• rice - 1.5 kg
• meat - 500-800 g
• lard - 300 g
• tail fat - 100 g
• oil - 2-3 cups
• garlic - 3 heads
• onions - 2-3 pcs
• tomatoes - 1-2 pcs
• pomegranate - 1 pc
• carrots - 2 pcs
• different spices - to taste
• salt, pepper - to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Cut the lard, throw it into a cauldron and fry until a lot of fat comes out.
2. Rinse the rice well 5-6 times to remove all possible starch.
3. Cut the vegetables: onion into rings and carrots into medium cubes.
4. Wash the meat well, cut it into medium-sized pieces and add it to the lard together with tail fat and vegetables, and fry everything well.
5. After the meat is well browned, pour in water, stir, cover and simmer.
6. After 20 minutes, add the rice and spices (don't forget the cumin), stir and simmer the pilaf.
7. At the very end, add the garlic cloves and cover.
8. Just before serving, mix the dish well, remove the garlic, and add the pomegranate seeds.